defection yea in most dangerous places euen there where Sathan hath his throne for this is no small argument of true religion deepely rooted in your heart that hauing trauelled through Italy Rome and other parts of the Popes Dominions heard and seene all those allurements which carrieth away instable minded men not rooted nor grounded in Christ after the loue of that richly busked Babilonish Whoore your Lordship hath returned home vnspotted neither burnt with their fire nor blacked with their smoake not vnlike those three children who came forth out of Nabuchadnezzars fire and had not so much as a smell thereof on their garments This Pietie euen in the iudgement of them who had no more but Natures light was esteemed the highest matter of a mans praise maiorem virtutem religione pietate in Deum nullam in humano genere inueniri quisque sibi persuadeat The reason hereof is giuen by Diuines illuminate with the light of the word to be this that by Pietie and holinesse of life we ascend ad primarium illud bonum vnde originem traximus and therefore the same father speaking in the praise of Cyprian affirmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And indeede since we are the generation of God made to his image what greater glory can man haue then to conserue that image and be like vnto him to whose similitude hee was made Vna itaque nobilitas imitatio dei Goe on therfore right Noble Lord follow the course which yee haue happily begunne shew your selfe the kindely sonne of so worthy Fathers aboue all the Sonne of God by the new generation his worke-manship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes Keepe in minde that warning of our Lord Much will be required of him to whom much is giuen as the double portion obliged the first borne to the greater seruice otherwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In all your waies looke vp to the Lord hee it is that exalts them of lowe degree and puts downe the mighty from their seates turning their glory into shame who vse not their glory to honour him Pittifull proofes whereof wee haue in this fearefull earthquake as I may call it going through this countrey by which many Castles Houses and Lands spewes out their inhabitants shaking off the yoke of their ancient Lords and rendring themselues to be possessed of their seruants because they haue also cast off the yoke of the Lord their God or at least not welcommed his grace offred in the Gospell as it became them The consideration whereof I doubt not doth affect your Lordship as it doth others who are become wise through the feare of God and learnes by the losse of others to gather their thoughts and make peace with him whose praise it is that he buildes houses to men and vpholds them for by him enterprises are established And herewithall remember Right Noble Lord that as trees on tops of hils are subiect to the blast of euery winde so men in the height of honour to great temptations against which they haue neede to be armed But least I seeme Monere memorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more laborious then neede requires I end Humbly praying your Lordship to accept these small and scarse-ripe fruit of my labours as a testimony of my affection to your Honour till it may please God some better token come into my hand whereby to declare it Your Lordships to command M. WILLIAM COVVPER Minister of Perth The Preface IT may iustly be spoken of many in this age which the Apostle Saint Paul spake of the Hebrewes When as concerning the time yee ought to be teachers of others yee haue neede againe that wee teach you the first principles of the word of God and are become such as haue neede of Milke and not of strong meate they professe faith in Christ but in truth doe not beleeue in him neither yet can they because they know him not they are baptised in his name but are not bureid with him through Baptisme neither raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God that raised him from the dead they carrie his cognisance and badge but are not militant vnder him in his warrefare As the Athenians sacrificed Ignoto Deo to a strange God and the Samaritans worshipped that which they knew not so our Atheists profitentur ignotum Christum professe a strange Christ they know not what he is in himselfe nor how hee is become ours nor what hee hath done for vs and therefore neither in life nor death doe they expresse his vertue They liue licentiously reprobate vnto euery good worke dishonouring Christ as if hee were a Sauiour who had no power to sanctifie those which are in him and they dye without comfort as if Christ by death had not obtained life and by death did not transport to life all that are in him thus while they professe fellowship with him they declare themselues to be strangers from him It is witnessed by the Lord in Ezechiel the same soule that sinneth shall die the sonne shall not beare the inquitie of the father neither shall the father beare the iniquitie of the sonne but the righteousnesse of the righteous shal be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shal be vpon himselfe If according to this testimonie of the word it be demanded of them seeing Christ is holy and righteous and wee are the sinners how is it that hee is punished and wee are spared This is but one of the least of Sathans assaults by which he impugnes the faith of men and yet if they be required to answere it they shall soone bewray themselues to be voide of knowledge and solide faith confident onely in a naked profession which will not faile in the end to beguile them For as an house faultie in the foundation cannot abide the stormy windes and raine no more can a Christian not informed with knowledge not rooted grounded and builded in Christ Iesus by faith endure in the houre of tentation That therefore the doctrine of Christianitie may be learned by such as knowes it not from the very foundation we haue here proposed three most necessary points to be entreated The first is Christs Genealogie the second his Baptisme the third his Tentation In the first wee are taught what manner of man our Lord is in himselfe In the second what manner of way he is become ours In the third what manner of way he did begin to worke the worke of our Redemption all most necessary to be knowne for the right grounding of our Faith on him In his Genealogie wee see how Iesus the sonne of Mary is that same blessed seede of the woman whom the Lord promised in Paradise to whom the Prophets of all times pointed and for whom the godly fathers of all ages waited and expected lineally desended from Adam by seauentie and foure fathers In his Baptisme wee see how he was consecrated
the sonne of Dauid 35 Nathan 36 Mattatha 37 Mainan 38 Melea. 39 Eliakim 40 Ionan 41 Ioseph 42 Iuda 43 Simeon 44 Leui. 45 Matthat 46 Iorim 47 Eliezer 48 Iose. 49 Er. 50 Elmodam 51 Cosam 52 Addi 53 Melchi 54 Neri Where S. Mathew cals Salathiel the sonne of Ieconias vnderstand his legall sonne succeding as neerest of kin Salathiel Pedaiah Zorobabel Where S. Luke cals Salathiel the sonne of Neri vnderstand the naturall sonne of Neri S. Mathew reckoneth in this line the forefathers of Ioseph Abiud Eliakim Azor. Sadoc Achim Eliud Eleazer Nathan Iacob Ioseph Ioseph is called by Saint Luke the sonne of Eli because he was his sonne in law S Luke againe reckoneth in this line the forefathers of Mary 58 Rhesa 59 Ioanna 60 Iuda 61 Ioseph 62 Semei 63 Mattathia 64 Maath 65 Naggi 66 Esli 67 Naum. 68 Amos. 69 Mattathias 70 Ioseph 71 Ianna 72 Melchi 73 Leui. 74 Matthat 75 Eli. 76 Marie IESVS CHRIST that blessed seede promised to Adam Noah Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob Iuda Dauid Zorobabel and Mary THus you haue the golden line reaching from ADAM to CHRIST it beginnes at the first Adam and is absolued in the second it containes a roll of the Fathers who through the priueledge of the first borne were ordinary Doctors and cheife lights of the Church till the comming of Christ. Vpon this golden line runnes the whole booke of God he that would read it with profit must remember the course of the spirit of God in the diduction of this line If at any time he diuert from it it is onely to interlace some purpose which may cleare the storie of the line So with the description of the linage of Seth hee adioynes also a description of the house and off-spring of Cham who are not in the line Likewise when he draws the Genealogie of Sem hee entreates of the posteritie of Iaphet and Cham and as hee handles the Historie of Abraham Isaac and Iacob so likewise the historie and posteritie of Nahor Ismaell and Esau. But as we may easily perceiue he insists not in the historie of them who are beside the line but hauing spoken so much of them as may cleare the storie of the line he lets them alone and returnes to his purpose alway following forth the line till he come to the promised Shiloh THE SECOND TREAtise of Christ his Baptisme THe second ground of doctrine we proposed to be entreted of is the Baptisme of CHRIST wherein we haue as I said before his most solemne consecration to the publicke office of the Mesiah Hitherto hee had liued a priuate life for the space of twentie nine yeares and now beginning to be thirtie years of age hee is manifested vnto the world by doing the great worke of a redeemer for which he came for so Saint Peter reckons all the time of his publicke charge and ministration to haue ben from the Baptisme of Iohn to the day of his ascension Many Kings Preists and Prophets hath God sent vnto his Church since the beginning of the world but neuer one like Iesus the great King high Preist and Prophet of the Church and therefore it is not without cause that exordium tanti officii tot est mistriis consecratum Neuer one was sent to doe such a worke as he and therefore neuer one had such a calling and confirmation as hee for now the heauens are opened the holy Ghost in a visible shape discends vpon him and God the father by an audible voice from heauen doth authorise him The principall end of this Treatise will be to teach vs how Iesus is become ours which is a speciall and necessary point for vs to learne The parts of his Consecration are two In the first wee see how the Lord Iesus by receiuing the Sacrament of Baptisme doth come in our place and roome as our kinsman as the first borne of his brethren as the head of his misticall body in a word as our cautioner acting and obligating himselfe to pay our debt and to fulfill those points of righteousnesse which we were bound to fulfill but could not doe by our selues and so to releiue and redeeme his brethren In the second wee see how the father not onely accepts him as debtor for vs but also designes and ordaines him to this great worke by annointing him with his holy spirit And thereafter in a publicke assembly of the people at Iorden in most solemne manner by an audible voice from heauen proclames him to be that great high Preist by whom onely attonement must be made betweene him and vs. These two ioyned together make vp vnto vs a most sure ground of Christian comfort If first we consider that the Lord Iesus for the loue hee bare to the glory of his father and saluation of his brethren voluntarily steppes into our roome and in our name becomes obliged to his father according to that notable Prophesie Psal. 40. 6. 7. which yet were a small thing were it not that the second followes to wit that the Father of his infinit wisedome finding out in Christ a way to preserue both the glory of his mercy and iustice doth of his speciall loue toward vs not onely accept him but ordaine him to doe the worke of a mediator imponing to him that singular law of a redeemer which was neuer imposed to man nor Angell as we shall here hereafter And here wee learne how by most sure right the Lord Iesus becomes ours to wit by the surest right that can be namely the free gift of God hee is giuen for a Prince of saluation to vs according to these testimonies both of Angels and men speaking by inspiration of the holy Ghost Vnto you this day is borne in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Againe God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeues in him should not perish And againe Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Looke then what way any other thing is ours which most properly wee may call ours that same way Christ is ours namely by the free and sure gift of God If we know and beleeue this we shall finde it a most sure ground of comfort to vphold vs in the houre of tentation It is true Gloriatio Ecclesiae est omnis Christi actio Euery action of Christ is the Churches reioycing and comfort but what reioycing shall wee haue in any of his actions if this ground be not first laid that he is ours and what he did hee did it for vs and vnto vs If he had not died for our sinnes and risen for our righteousnesse what could his death and resurrection haue profited vs But here is the ground of all that he is giuen vnto vs of the Father for a Sauiour whereunto most willingly hee condescends and for which worke the spirit annoints him
children 223. Christs glory manifested in that he tooke no holinesse from his parents 27 Christs Line from whence deduced 34 Christ neuer called the natural son of Salomon 35 Christ as man was borne a Noble man ibid. Christ the companion of Iehouah 39 Christ our kinsman ibid. Why Christ is called Shiloh 40 Christ the true Redeemer and auenger of his brethren 40 Christ most solemnely consecrated King Priest and Prophet 50 Christ willingly maketh himselfe debtor for vs. 51 Christ how become ours in most sure manner 53. 54 What comfort Christ hath brought vs. 59 Why Christ prayed for himselfe 69 How Christ teacheth vs to sanctifie all our actions by Prayer 71 How Christ cures his Patients by annointing them 86 Christ endues his children with meekenes 87 Christ how the Sonne of God 97 Christ his life and doctrine c. confirmed vnto vs by diuers notable testimonies pag. 99. 100. c. to page 110. Why Christ is led into the Wildernes by the motion of the spirit 124 The Actions of Christ how receiued 150 Christs transportation whether mentall or corporall 195 Christ tempted at the eye with a faire show at the eare with faire offers 229. 231. 241 Christ his loue 313 Warning for carelesse Christians 153 Carnall men in words despise Sathan but in deedes doe serue him 121 Circumspection needfull 315 A Comfort in that we be come of Christ by grace 18 Comfort for poore distressed sinners 25. 26 Comfort arising from the consideration of Christs person 39 A strong Bulwarke of Comfort 77 Comforts against the feare of Sathans power and our weakenesse 90 Comfort against the want of worldly things 174 Comforts when ordinary meanes faile 191 Comfort for a Christian exercised with vnaccustomed temptations 119 After great Comfort looke for temptation 308 An euill Conscience what it is 287 Consecration of Christ to the office of a Redeemer considered 51. the solemnitie thereof vnmatchable 50 Warning to such as are within the Couenant 23 Two parts of the Couenant of Grace and both sealed by Baptisme 64 D DEath of Christ abused to the nourishing of sinne 205 Euery day should shadow our death 324 Contentment in Death 325 Desertions Spirituall 305 E THe agreement of the foure Euangelists confirmes the truth of the Gospell 2 The different courses of the two Euangelists Mathew and Luke 55. Their harmony in the Genealogie of Christ. 43. 44. c. they agree where they seeme most discordant 37 Exercises spirituall and their profit 289. Bodily Exercises how to be vsed 290 F CHrists miraculous Fasting confirmed his doctrine 149 Christs Fast abused by Papists 150 Fasting how manifold 152 The end of Religious Fasting 154 Rules in Fasting 155. 156 c. Blinde Folly of men bewitched with Sathans offers 250. Friendship of the world 291 G GEnealogie of Christ why registred pag. 1 The whole Genealogy diuided into Sections pag. 5. 6. to pag. 37. c. and described according to the consent of the Euangelists p. 43. 44. c. Gentiles haue their part in Christ. 30 Why the Holy Ghost descends in the similitude of a Doue c. and not of fire 84. 85 Neuer any full of the Holy Ghost as Christ Iesus was 127 God being become the sonne of man it is not impossible that man may become the Sonne of God 14 The gaine of Godlinesse 275 Gospell an heauenly doctrine 94. the Maiestie and Dignitie thereof ibid. No way to bring a man to heauen but by the faith of the Gospell 95 A short summe of the Gospell 97 Gospell how it should be preached 92 The course of the Gospell 270 The triall of a true Gospeller 271 Time of Grace how dispensed by the Lord. 268 H TO infect the Heart by the Eye one of Sathans pollicies 232 To keepe the Heart we must first haue a care to keepe the Eye 233 An Awe-band for the Heart 315 I ARrogancy of the Iewes glorying of their progenitors repressed 24 Watch-word for Impenitents vnder Grace 280 Incarnation of Christ a great token of Gods fauour to man p. 10. how we should be thankefull for so great a mercy p. 11. The Article of Christs Incarnation confirmed 12. 13 A Rule for the vse of things indifferent 273 K SAthan speakes of earthly Kingdomes not of heauenly 235. his subtiltie in shewing the glory of them 236 Earthly Kingdomes may be represented not so the heauenly 237 Religious bowing of the Knee to Creatures a note of Idolaters 257 Knowledge and Deuotion 321 L THe Gospell should be preached in a language the people may vnderstand 92 Wherefore Christ endued the Apostles with the gift of Languages 92 The Law was proclaimed with terrour the Gospell was not so 86 Spirituall Life helped by Fasting Prayer 147 Three helpes to a spirituall and godly life 273 True life what it is 281 Sufficiencie of Eternall Life 283 Many care for this earthly Life as if it were eternall and for eternall as if it were to be obtained in a moment 178 Vanity of this earthly life 285 Carnall lusts nourished by intemperancy â—48 Meditation against sinfull lusts 311 M THat the Virgin Mary was conceiued and borne without sinne an erronious doctrine 28. and long agoe condemned 29 Meanes ordained of God not to be despised 184. 185 We must not trust in the Meanes but in God 186 God worketh without Meanes by small Meanes and sometimes against Meanes 187 What to doe when ordinarie meanes faile 191 Mercy of God towards vs to be marked 215 Publike Ministration of Christ how long it continued 49 Murthering ones selfe or selfe-Murther 304 P PApists conuinced for taking the word from the people 181 Such as glory of their Parcntage confuted 25 Passion what it is 298 Remedy of Passion 299 Patience of God should not be abused 312 Pharises whether more then one conuerted in the Gospell 55 Good actions without Prayer are like bodies without Spirits 71 Continuance required in Prayer 72 Feruency and attention in Prayer 73 Comfortable effects of Prayer 74 Prayer is the first step of our ascension to God with Iesus Christ. 75 A Preachers comfort 307 Temptation of Praesumption preuaileth in this age 209 Wherein the greatest happinesse of Christs progenitors consisteth 19 Iewes such as glory of their progenitors answered 24. 25 The promises of God can be no comfort to vs if we neglect the conditions 220 R BLockishnesse of men that rebell against God 190 Christ our Redeemer 80 How the three persons of the Trinitie concurre to the worke of our Redemption 89 The mystery of our Redemption explained for our greater comfort 163 A spurre to Repentance 274 Reuenge of Thamar 91 A soule filled with conceipt of it owne Righteousnesse vncapable of grace 57 S TWo sorts of Sathans operations 142 Sathan expressed by many names for the great wickednesse of his nature 144. 145 Sathan a Tempter an Accuser a Tormenter ibid. Sathan restlesse in Temptations 160. hee obserueth time and occasion for temptation 164. What a false and craftie Calumniator hee is